Staying safe in the sun
Tips to have a relaxing summer while avoiding harmful UV rays
COURIER LIFE, JULY 3-9, 2020 21
A relaxing day outdoors
soaking up some of the sun’s
rays is how many people prefer
to spend their free time when
the weather allows. While the
very vision of a warm summer
afternoon spent outdoors
can invoke positive feelings,
it’s important that people take
protective measures before going
outside and continue to do
so while they’re out there. According
to the American Cancer
Society, most skin cancers
are the result of exposure to
ultraviolet rays in sunlight.
UV rays are a type of radiation
that do not have enough energy
to penetrate deeply into
the body. As a result, they primarily
affect the skin. Overexposure
to these rays can lead
to skin cancer.
Protection from UV rays
The ACS notes that there
are no safe UV rays, so it’s imperative
that people take UV
protection seriously. The following
are some of the many
ways to protect yourself while
still enjoying sunny days outdoors.
• Go out at the right times
of day. The ACS notes that UV
rays are at their strongest in
the middle of the day between
the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
so staying inside during these
hours can protect your skin.
This is especially important
in the spring and summer,
as the ACS says UV rays are
stronger during these seasons
than other times of year.
• Employ the shadow test
when going outside. It may
not seem especially scientifi c,
but the shadow test is a simple
way for anyone to gauge
how strong UV rays from the
sun are at any given moment.
According to the ACS, if your
shadow is shorter than you,
that means the sun’s rays are
at their strongest. This simple
test can help people immediately
determine how strong
the sun’s rays are, compelling
them to be extra cautious if
necessary.
• Apply sunscreen early and
reapply often. The ACS recommends
using sunscreens
with broad spectrum protection
that protect the skin from
both UVA and UVB rays, and
applying them before leaving
the house and reapplying
often while outdoors. When
choosing a sunscreen, choose
one with a minimum sun protection
factor, or SPF, of 30. Understanding
SPF can help people
recognize the importance
of reapplication. When an SPF
30 product is applied correctly,
a person gets the equivalent of
one minute of UVB ray exposure
for each 30 minutes he or
she spends in the sun. So one
hour in the sun wearing SPF
30 sunscreen is the same as
spending two minutes totally
unprotected. Reapplying SPF
30 sunscreen often can ensure
you are protected at all times.
• Wear a hat. Hats with a
brim that is at least two to
three inches all around protects
vulnerable areas such as
the eyes, forehead, nose, ears,
and scalp. Choose a hat with
a dark, non-refl ective underside,
as such a hat can lower
the amount of UV rays that
reach the face from refl ective
surfaces such as water. Sun
protection is important yearround,
and especially so during
spring and summer.
Health